This Brief provides an overview and history of the definition of serial
homicide, from the perspectives of psychology, medicine, criminology and
forensics. It reviews research to provide a standard definition of
serial homicide (as opposed to multiple or mass homicide), and provide
insights on profiles of victims and offenders for police practitioners.
It also includes a discussion of the media approach to covering serial
homicide.
The Brief is divided into four major sections covering: definitions and
overview of serial homicide, profiling perpetrators according to
different typologies, profiling victims, applied case studies, and
recommendations for investigation and prevention.
The author's approach is aimed primarily at researchers in police
studies, but will be of interest to researchers in related fields such
as criminal justice, sociology, psychology, and public policy.